Water is often discussed as a health or humanitarian issue. However, as needs increase and the effects of climate change intensify, it is increasingly becoming a central economic issue for the African continent. Agriculture, energy production, urbanization, industry, and social stability all depend directly on access to sufficient and properly managed water resources.

This reality was highlighted at a high-level session held as part of the 12th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in Addis Ababa. At this event, Claver Gatete called on African states to make water and sanitation a strategic development priority, emphasizing that water insecurity now poses a major economic risk to several key sectors.

The figures cited during the discussions illustrate the scale of the challenge. Despite progress made since 2015, only 40% of Africans currently have access to safely managed water, while barely 30% have access to adequate sanitation services. More than 200 million people still practice open defecation on the continent, which continues to fuel significant health risks.

These difficulties have far broader economic repercussions than just the issue of access to drinking water. In several African regions, agriculture remains heavily dependent on rainfall and vulnerable to droughts and climate disruptions. Yet this sector still represents a major share of employment in many of the continent's economies.

When water resources dwindle or become more erratic, the consequences quickly impact agricultural yields, rural incomes, and food prices. Water scarcity can then fuel inflation, weaken supply chains, and exacerbate social risks in already vulnerable areas.

The energy sector is also directly affected. A significant portion of African electricity production still relies on hydropower, particularly in several East and Southern African countries. Prolonged droughts can therefore impact energy production, slow industrial activity, and increase electricity costs.

Rapid urbanization is further exacerbating this pressure. According to the United Nations, Africa's urban population is expected to nearly double by 2050, implying massive needs for water networks, sanitation infrastructure, and waste management. In several major African cities, existing infrastructure is already struggling to keep pace with current population growth.

The Economic Commission for Africa estimates that the continent needs to mobilize approximately $64 billion annually to achieve universal water security. This amount illustrates the scale of the investments required in distribution networks, treatment plants, sanitation systems, and storage and irrigation infrastructure.

Climate change makes the situation even more complex, as it simultaneously exacerbates droughts, floods, and irregular seasons. Some regions now have to cope with more frequent extreme weather events, with direct impacts on infrastructure, crops, and population displacements.

In this context, water is gradually ceasing to be considered a mere social issue and is becoming a key factor in economic competitiveness and political stability. Countries able to sustainably secure their water resources will have an increasingly decisive advantage in the coming decades, while those with accumulating infrastructure deficits risk seeing economic and social tensions worsen.